Durham PBSA Scheme Recommended for Approval

Plans are underway to move forward with a large-scale student housing project in Durham that could accommodate more than 800 students.

The development is being spearheaded by Banks Group and will occupy a 7.8-acre site to the north of Mount Oswald on South Road.

Although the project was granted outline consent in 2018, it failed to meet the specified time limit for implementation.

However, the developer has submitted a statement asserting that the need for student housing in Durham has increased significantly since the pandemic, citing last year's incident where students were forced to camp out to secure accommodation.

The development is part of the larger Mount Oswald masterplan, which was originally granted outline permission in 2013 for a mixed-use development featuring 291 dwellings.

Since the original submission, the plan has been updated to free up the application site for further student accommodation.

A statement in the application said: "We believe there are no better alternative sites in Durham for this development because of constraints such as Green Belt, flood risk and the protection of the World Heritage Site. We believe now is the right time to resurrect the scheme to bring forward more carefully designed and managed accommodation for the city's students."

Although all details have been withheld for the project, it is expected that the accommodation will consist of cluster flats with between five and ten bedrooms, as well as a limited number of studio apartments and/or townhouses.

Based on a planning statement, the development is estimated to be worth £60m, with an additional yearly expenditure of £4m in the local area. The construction phase alone is projected to generate 200 employment opportunities, as well as indirect employment opportunities.

After taking all factors into consideration, the proposal will be presented to the Durham County Planning Committee on Tuesday, May 2nd, with a recommendation for approval.